Emile Smith-Rowe has failed to break into the Arsenal squad this season after a successful 2021-22 season in which he scored 10 goals in 33 league games.
Due to a long-term injury at the outset of the season and the prominence of Gabriel Martinelli, he has become more of a squad player. This situation hasn’t gone well for the Hale End graduate, as he suggested after his impressive performance for the England under-21 team against France, in which he scored in England’s 4-0 victory.
Speaking after the game he admitted how hungry he is to play. “I’m really desperate [to play] to be honest,” Smith Rowe said, as per the Times. “The team is doing really well and it’s obviously something I want to be a part of.
“I’m working hard every day. Coming away here and getting minutes that I really need is really good for me to take back.”
Anyway, Smith Rowe further admitted he is not ready to throw in the towel and that he is ready to fight for a place in Arteta’s lineup.
“I’ve never really been in this position before, being left out so much,” he said. “But I’m just trying to work hard as much as possible, to train as well as I can. I know the team’s on fire and they’re doing really well.
“It’s been really difficult to deal with it and manage it. But everyone at the club has been helping me on and off the pitch. It’s such a family at Arsenal, all the boys have been helping me out as well.”
Smith Rowe is a talent there is no doubt about it, he is just having a bad moment. He will come good no doubt as they say class is permanent and form is temporary. Go! go! Smith Rowe, we want you back, and if he doesn’t get to play for Arsenal, it could become a problem.
Emile concuded with: “I need to get as many minutes as I can and then going into the summer with England, I want to make sure I’m playing there as well,” he said. “Going into next season, I need to be on that team sheet.”
I am certain Arteta knows what a talent ESR is and will need to use all his man-management skills to keep him on board. But obviously with 10 “Cup Finals” ahead, Arteta will have to make sure he has the best starting XI in every single game….
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He has lots of competetion in his position. But, I hope to him outperform some of those currently ahead of him. He definitely has the talent bar injury. Any news on Partey’s injury? I heard he sustained some injury during Ghana’s match.
After the man of the match performance against Angola in the first leg win, he was advised against taking part in the second leg as a precautionary measure.
That’s what I was made to understand, Arsenal physio sanction it.
I don’t think he can be our main LW next season, especially if Nelson extends his contract. Hopefully the coaches are preparing him for a central role
it may just be my impression, but I think that if he can follow the style of movement and change of position that Trossard and Martinelli do he can fight for position in our attack…. I always liked his finishing and I think he can be a perfect false 9
He played false nine decently against Villarreal in Spain, but now we’ve got Jesus, Nketiah and Trossard for the CF position
I believe his future is in the AM role
👍 Playimg centrally better utilizes ESR’s skill set.
It’s good that ESR isn’t complaining, but in saying that “I’ve never really been in this position before, being left out so much,” he doesn’t address the fact that he’s had major surgery which kept him out for most of last season and a fair part of this one, so really Emile, you weren’t so much “left out” as not fit to play.
I’m hoping that he will be able to be deployed in a creative role more suitable to his talent than as a wide left/winger-type raider, which I’ll admit he’s very good at.
Emile Smith Rowe should be gentle introduced back in the team slowly, just has been done now.
Think ESR is a better choice than Vieira in midfield or on the wing. ESR was a super sub that year and can be impactful when he plays.
Vieira in his first year, but wow how underwhelming. His small frame was a concern for some and it’s shown to be a liability in midfield.
He also lacks a defensive edge and doesn’t like getting stuck or sticking a leg in. I’d go ESR every day over Vieira until he can find the traction he clearly is missing.
I agree 100%
ESR needs to start working on his physique as he’s constantly injured and more often than not, being injured is due to muscle weaknesses/imbalances/negligence on recovery.
He needs to earn it. But I hope competition will improve his play
I’m not too worried about ESRs career as the kid oozes nothing but class, on the field and off it.
Shame this season may have come to the end too soon for him except for a few cameos and minutes but if he can mentally accept ‘it is what it is’ this year, recover properly from his surgery and regain the fitness that a long season requires, I can’t wait to see the monster his potential clearly shows next season.
Why do I get the strange feeling people are underrating Rice because he’s English and people just don’t associate technical midfielders with English players anymore. Rice is definitely better than Onana, more versatile, tops or near the top in several defensive measurements… would love to get him. Should be our no1 midfield target
100%. Never understood the bad mouthing considering that he is practically on his own in midfield and Paqueta will not support.
I would spend over the 100 mil, firstly for a damn good player and secondly for a statement that we will be around again next season.
Feck me… have we really satisfied for Jorginho, allegedly we may have on this forum🙄
True words on both Viera and Jorginho NB. Some fans just don’t get it.
Rice is a fantastic player no doubt, I just disagree that he is more versatile than Onana.
Onana does the dirty work like a DM (Rice as well) but Onana makes late runs like Ramsey used too.
I’d love to have both Rice and Onana this Summer, but if only one, then Onana for me. Nothing to do with Rice being English, more to do with Onana’s talent, versatility, and lower price tag without the English tax.
Smith -Rowe is a very good player who I expect to peak around the age of 24/ 25 providing he remains injury free. Currently he is not being well used at Arsenal because he is way down in the pecking order behind Odegaard ( justifiably so), Xhaka ( debatable) Viera ( ridiculously) and Trossard ( temporarily). It’s probably the way it should be because why change a winning formula. Coaches don’t make major changes unless there there have been a number of consecutive losses, something which we definitely don’t want to happen. However at the moment Arteta sees ESR as a utility player, a stop gap to plug holes. One thing, though, ESR is not a winger, stuck in a corner. He is a mobile midfielder who likes to move free range around the park playing one two and finding good positions. Xhaka has his name on this role at present but Smith -Rowe with his greater mobility should make it his own sometime next season otherwise I am afraid he will move on and be playing his best football at somewhere like Newcastle or even Liverpool. To be honest if I were a talent scout in Italy I would recommend him to a club like Juventus or AC Milan where he could thrive and also learn a lot.
ESF hasnt been “left out” due to failing to be selected, but because he has been unavailable for selection due to consistent injury.
As stated by others ESR is a young player, who has to work on his physical strength and endurance, while being nurtured by Arsenal.
Keiran Tierney has also had difficulty in being selected, yet starred for Scotland against Spain (3-0), both in attack (one length of the field run and assist) and defence. Tierney showed what he can do when given the opportunity, yet people on here want him sold in the summer!
I think ESR has done enough to prove his worth to the team and we have to presume that once he has regained full fitness and match sharpness he will see a lot more game time. Certainly for me he has more than qualified for selection over Fabio Vieira when all other factors are equal. He is a superior player to Reiss Nelson, albeit a different type of player and at his age we should be looking to cement him in this team for the next decade alongside Saka, Odegaard, Saliba and Martinelli. Those 5 are the future of this club and if we can keep them and keep them fit then we should be entering a phase of prosperity and restoring our position as annual title contenders.
ESR is a great talent and I am sure his time will come. That said, even in this season itself, ESR will be required in games as a sub or as a starter in case of some injury. He could play on the wings or as a no.10.